


how to fill a yearning heart

by Nebbles



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Fluff, Humor, Love Confessions, M/M, Modern AU, Mutual Pining, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:47:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25864588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nebbles/pseuds/Nebbles
Summary: Step 1: Have your friends realize you're in love.Step 2: Have them attempt to get you a date.Step 3: Realize they're the most unhelpful people on the planet, and try to do it yourself.Ashe and Ignatz are stuck in the world's cheesiest romantic comedy.
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Ignatz Victor
Comments: 13
Kudos: 25





	how to fill a yearning heart

**Author's Note:**

> This was written a part of the FE3H Exchange on twitter for @@pokeguy_946! I had an absolute pleasure writing this for you, so I hope you enjoy it! <3
> 
> s/o to my homie Sam, my fellow romantic comedy enthusiast, for making sure I had every silly trope in order.

Claude considered himself a man of many talents, accompanied by a rather strong sense of patience. The expiration date of said patience loomed high in the air, never to touch the ground, blah blah blah.  
  


Really, he could go on, but it thinned out with each passing day that Ashe and Ignatz continued their game of longing glances, flirting-but-not-really-flirting, and their hands almost, _almost_ touching. It was as if he had front row tickets to the world’s most painful slow burn, no intermission, no one coming down the aisle to offer him snacks to make it any less agonizing to sit through.   
  


Did he waste his time idly watching romances before he had met Hilda? No, and it was beginning to make him wish he could solve this within two hours, accompanied by today’s Top 40 hits and quirky background music.   
  


It was less out of annoyance, and more out of the desire to see those two together, and be happy. The two of them were already cheery young men, in the heyday of their lives (or something like that), and deserved to go on a date or a few dozen.  
  


Knowing this wasn’t a one man job, Claude called the best back up he could, and was rather delighted they answered the call with little bribery.   
  


“I’m assuming you two know why I requested your services.” Claude placed his elbows on the cafe table in a highly dramatic fashion, hands folded under his chin. “Two friends of ours have been pining for a very long time, and it’s getting hard to watch.”  
  


“Ugh, you’re telling me.” Hilda’s finely manicured nails tapped against the sugary confection, dolloped with whipped cream (Claude wasn’t comfortable calling it coffee) in her hands. “They’d be perfect for each other! I don’t get why they haven’t asked each other out already.”  
  


“You realize who we’re talking about, right?” Sylvain took a sip of his own coffee, which was normal by human standards, but still grossly sweet. “All Ashe does is stare at him longingly and then denies he’s doing it.”  
  


It’s somehow even sadder to hear that when Sylvain says it. “We caught Ignatz sketching him, and he tried to deny that.”  
  


“Oh yeah?” Sylvain placed his elbow on the table, chin propped in his unoccupied hand. “How’d that work out for him?”  
  


“Not as well as he’d hoped, considering no one else at this university looks like Ashe.” Claude’s coffee was the most normal of them all, medium roast with a hint of cream and sugar. How Sylvain and Hilda didn’t rot their teeth was a mystery not even he could figure out. “I think we need to approach this from all angles.”  
  


“A less subtle approach, huh? I like the sound of that.” Sylvain gave a rather eager grin. “Even Felix agrees he needs to ask Ignatz out already. And before you ask, he didn’t tag along because he thinks this idea is stupid.”  
  


“Soooo… you’re saying he wants them to get together, but he isn’t going to help? Typical Felix,” Hilda clicked her tongue, “we’ll all be old by the time they actually get together!”  
  


“Hey, I don’t think they’re that hopeless.” One could hope, but Claude wasn’t going to give up before any brilliant schemes were put into play. “We need more information. Have they tried to ask each other out yet? Is there a reason they haven’t?”   
  


“Maybe they’re dealing with the world’s worst case of romantic tension.” Claude watched Sylvain add yet another packet of sugar to his coffee with only slight worry. “And they’re crumbling under it instead of actually addressing it.”  
  


“Like you and Felix were?” Hilda teased as she reached over to pinch his cheek. “You would know, Sylvain.”  
  


Sylvain batted her hand away with a scoff. “That’s why Claude called me in! I’m clearly an expert at dealing with pining.”  
  


Maybe he should have called Mercedes. Ah well, his schemes always worked out well in the end. “Alright, that’s Sylvain’s bet. What’s yours, Hilda?”  
  


“Well, maybe they’re actually together, but they’re totally not for PDA, unlike Ferdie and Lorenz.” Hilda tutted as she shook her head. “Since they’re super shy and all.”  
  


“Good theories,” Claude scratched his chin in thought, “I’m going to be the normal one here, for once, and think they’ve missed every romantic cue from one another, so they think they’re just really good friends.”  
  


“Sounds like you’re watching too many romantic comedies with Hilda.” Sylvain commented behind his cup of coffee.  
  


“Don’t you watch those with Felix?” It was Claude’s turn to take a nonchalant sip of his own as Sylvain coughed into his cup. “Thought so. Anyway, we have our first plan to put into motion: find out the situation between them. Hilda and I got Ignatz, and you have Ashe. We’ll reconvene in a week.”  
  


The three of them brought their coffee cups together in cheers in hopes this would be a painless process.  
  


Operation get Ashe and Ignatz together had been put into action.   
  


* * *

  
Somewhere in the fifth lines of his (personal) notes about what frosting suited a cake better, Ashe groaned and set his pen to the side. These weren’t notes for a test or an essay he planned to write, it was a distraction from everything else on his mind.

  
Yes, Ashe kept thinking about how wonderful it would be to prepare a meal for Ignatz and no one else. How his eyes would shine at a perfect plate placed in front of him, would call _his_ food a revelation, would compliment it in ways only Ignatz could.

  
It was safe to call Ignatz one of his best friends; they’d known each other for years, much before they had gone off to college. While this gave Ashe the benefit of knowing so much about him, it also lent a hand to his crush intensifying as time marched on. At first, the goal had been to ask out Ignatz before graduation.

 _  
High school_ graduation. 

  
Ashe was a mess. 

  
Every time he tried to work up the nerve to say something, his mind worked against him. What if Ignatz didn’t see him in a romantic light? What if he saw his gestures as platonic and nothing else? Sure, Ashe made them cookies when they studied together, but he was nice and he’d do that for _any_ of his friends! Ignatz wouldn’t see it as special, or that he specifically made Ignatz’s favorite for no reason in particular. 

  
He’d read enough romance novels to realize that sometimes, a direct approach was best, albeit the most terrifying. Said novels weren’t a guide for asking out your best friend you’ve been pining after for years, Ashe was aware, but it wasn’t as if he was making any progress on the matter. 

  
So here he was in the nearby cafe as he bounced his pen against his notebook in thinly-veiled agony, all due to the fact he was too shy to ask out a boy.

  
Christophe would be in hysterics, the _jerk._

  
At least he wasn’t the type to scrawl Ignatz’s name in the margins of his notebook, which was a blessing, given he had turned around to see Sylvain hovering over his shoulder with a smile.

  
“Heeeey there, Ashe!” Nope, Ashe didn’t trust the tone of his voice whatsoever. “What’re you writing? Anything good?” 

  
“It’s really nothing that interesting…” Unless Sylvain wanted to read his thoughts about buttercream versus cream cheese frosting, which were more rambles than anything else. “Can I help you with something?”

  
“You can, actually!” Sylvain sat uncomfortably close to Ashe, and slung an arm around his shoulder. “You know I love helping my friends when they’re in need.”

  
There was truth to that; Sylvain was reliable when it came to running to his friend’s aid. Normally, Ashe would be comforted by his offer, but that grin on his face wasn’t very encouraging. “What makes you think--”

  
“How’s that crush on Ignatz treating you?” Ashe felt a flush color his entire face and neck a bright red. “I knew it! Ah, young love…”

  
“How did you--” Was he that obvious? Did all of his friends know? When did his life become a romantic comedy, where all of his friends knew of said crush and were waiting for a confession with baited breath? 

  
“Ashe, we’ve been friends for a long time. Plus, I _am_ a romantic expert,” Sylvain was offered him a flat stare, “and I am willing to share my talents if it helps you get a date.” 

  
Had Sylvain said this years ago, Ashe would have politely declined. Given his previous reputation as a philanderer, he wasn’t someone he’d go to for matters of the heart. Time had been kind to him, however -- it’d given Sylvain a chance to heal, even if the process was slow. Felix at his side had done him a lot of good. While a few matters still did concern him, Ashe at least knew he was more genuine when it came to matters of the heart. 

  
And he wasn’t the type of person to lead Ashe astray. He could live without the embarrassing comments, but… that’s just who Sylvain was, wasn’t he?

  
“What exactly do you plan to do?” Ashe asked this with more uncertainty than he meant to, and noticed the pout on Sylvain’s face.   
  


“Help you work up the courage to ask him out, duh.” It was stated like it was the most obvious answer in the world. “Unless you want me to do it for you.”  
  


Ashe felt his eyes widen as the fear of the Goddess entered him. “Sylvain, please don’t do that.”  
  


He had a sinking feeling it was going to happen regardless, given the not-so-innocent look on his face. “Listen, it’s obvious the two of you are crazy about each other. Invite him over, cook him his favorite meal, and maybe he’ll get the hint. You can go from there, right?”  
  


“I’ve tried that already. Considering I’m always happy to cook for my friends, he didn’t think much of it, and I lost my nerve.” He really was helpless, wasn’t he?   
  


Sylvain slowly shook his head with a dramatic sigh. “Then just tell him how you feel! Put yourself out there, Ashe!”  
  
  
“Y-You know I can’t do that! That’s why we’re having this conversation!” Ashe wondered if anyone else in the cafe was offering them odd looks. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship…”  
  


“I can sympathize with you on that, since that’s a good reason I didn’t confess to Felix for so long.” Sylvain patted his back, which felt more reassuring than Ashe assumed it would be. “Sure, there were a lot of other factors in there, but I definitely didn’t want to lose him. And look at us now! We’re so nauseatingly cute, it hurts.”  
  


“Uh-huh.” Ashe was pretty sure Ferdinand and Lorenz held that title. Admittedly, he’s surprised they weren’t enjoying a tea date in the cafe as they spoke. “Do you really think he likes me?”  
  


“Of course I do! Why wouldn’t I have confidence in you?” Sylvain’s hand placed itself on Ashe’s shoulder. “I’ve seen you guys interact for years now. Even Felix is cheering for you two, and don’t let him know I told you that.”  
  


“He really is soft on the inside, isn’t he?” Just like the knight in one of their favorite stories… “I’m flattered he thinks so.”   
  


“That’s our Felix, alright. And don’t get me started on how much Dimitri and Ingrid have been rooting for you.” A laugh escaped him as Ashe’s entire face went scarlet. “Yeah, even Dimitri. Dedue too! You have your own fanclub!”  
  


Ashe dropped a burning face into his hands, and tried to make the crack in his voice any less obvious. “S-Sylvain, please…!”  
  


“Hey, this just means you have more people rooting for you!” Sylvain rose from his chair with a smile. “I know you can do it. Next time I see you, I’ll be looking for Ignatz!”  
  


He left shortly after that, and Ashe concluded that Sylvain was the world’s biggest enigma. While he did trust him, and didn’t doubt their friendship, that smile he wore worried him more than it should have. Their conversation was out of concern, but Ashe had to wonder if Sylvain was planning something.

  
Scratch that, this was Sylvain he was talking about.  
  


He was absolutely planning something.  
  


* * *

  
Ignatz had never been happier to have class come to an end, just so he could sit somewhere quiet and think. His thoughts were nothing new, given he had to stop himself from sketching Ashe in the leaves of his sketchbook once more.   
  


He’d lost his heart to Ashe some time ago, and every chance that offered itself to confess fell to the wayside. Truly, would someone as wonderful as Ashe choose him? What if his affections were spurned? Close as they were, it almost felt foolish to imagine romance was ever an option. Given how beautiful Ashe was, how he radiated warm kindness that felt so special, he could choose anyone.  
  


So why would he waste his time with silly old Ignatz, who took years to convince himself it was alright to go to art school? Ashe had been kind enough to encourage him, too…  
  


Sure, they’d studied together despite having different classes, under the guise they wanted familiar company. Sure, Ashe had learned his favorite meals and made them as comfort meals before his midterms once semester. They’d gotten tea from the local cafe together, and Ignatz listened to every word as he talked about what desserts he’d pair them with in the future.  
  


Ignatz was terribly in love, and knew it’d be foolish to deny it. He was more foolish to think he’d ever work up the courage to confess. Here he was, stuck between his silly feelings and fear, heart unsure of the direction it wished to continue upon.   
  


A pair of green eyes greeted him from his sketchbook, a sea of freckles, an angelic smile -- features that he wished to be fortunate enough to study closer one day, if the Goddess would allow such a boon. With a gentle sigh, Ignatz leaned his head back against the tree he sat under, and couldn’t help but think of how soft Ashe’s hair would feel against his fingers, if his lips felt the way he imagined them to be…  
  


Lost in pining, Ignatz nearly jumped out of his skin when Hilda’s voice rang rather loudly in his ear.  
  


“How’s my _favorite_ artist today?” Hilda plopped herself next to him with a too-sweet smile that Ignatz knew not to trust. “I have some super-duper important questions to ask you about painting, sooo…”   
  


Hilda didn’t paint. Ignatz quickly shut his sketchbook as he held it close to his chest, and could only pray she didn’t notice who he was drawing.   
  


She crossed one leg over the other with pursed lips, as if she was carefully debating her next words. “I was having trouble thinking of some colors for my next project! I was wondering if you could help me, since you’re super good at that kinda stuff.”   
  


“Oh, um…” Wasn’t Hilda good at putting outfits together? Perhaps he just overthinking all of this? “Are you sure you need my help, Hilda? Why not ask someone in your class?”  
  


“Aw, but you’re one of my best friends!” Ignatz swore she was batting her eyelashes at him. “And we haven’t talked about art in such a long time! How couldn’t I think of you?”  
  


He offered a soft smile, and figured this conversation was harmless. If Hilda truly needed him, it would be unfair to disappoint her. “I’d be honored to help. What ensemble were you thinking of?”  
  


“Welllll,” Hilda tapped a finger to her chin in thought, “I want the colors to be really soft and warm -- something super easy to look at. Liiike… a super pretty shade of green! Oooh, like Ashe’s eyes! What color would you call that, hm?”  
  


To any other person, this would have been a red flag, a terribly obvious sign that your crush wasn’t as secret as you hoped it was. When it came to Ashe’s beauty, Ignatz was cursed with a burden all lovestruck people carried: the inability to _stop talking_ about them if given the chance.  
  


“I’d call them seafoam green, if anything -- the most beautiful shade of it, too.” It was a miracle Ignatz wasn’t looking towards Hilda to see the wide grin on her face. “Despite that, I could also compare his eyes to a meadow, especially one that’s come into bloom during the first signs of spring… It would be easier to say his eyes remind me of the beauty of nature itself, even if that’s not answering your question.”  
  


Hilda didn’t need to know he once spent half an hour making that exact soft, pale green to use in a landscape painting of his in the past.  
  
  
“And what color would you pair with that lovely shade of green?” Again, Ignatz hardly gave much thought to her line of questioning. Every artist had their off day, so perhaps this was just a conversation to ward off art block. “Maybe silver?”   
  


That was… oddly specific, and she had answered her own question. “A lighter one, perhaps. Something like starlight could work,” he began, “something close to what I see when I look at Ashe, honestly. ...Are you planning to use him as a model for what you plan on making?”  
  


The smile Hilda wore, now that Ignatz had looked over to her, was eerily reminiscent of Claude’s. It made him realize several things, none of which were remotely comforting. Oh, how his penchant for rambling had come back to haunt him in the worst way possible.  
  


“Sooo, how long have you been in love?” Goddess help him. His life was over. “Aw, Ignatz, don’t look at me like that! I want to help you, and it’s free of charge!”   
  


“I--” He sputtered, flush reaching his ears, eyes wide as ever. “H-Hilda, certainly you’re looking too deeply into things--”  
  


“Ignatz, you just compared Ashe’s hair to the stars. People don’t do that unless they’re in love!” If she knew, Claude knew -- that was how the world operated. And if Claude knew… “Why haven’t you asked him out already?”  
  


“Oh, Hilda… I’m sure you already know the answer to that.” He gave a sigh, and tried to will away the redness on his cheeks. “Ashe would never go for someone like me.”  
  


“Says who?” Hilda folded her arms across her chest, accompanied by her signature pout. “You keep doubting yourself, Ignatz, when it comes to things that’ll actually make you happy! How long are you going to convince yourself it’s alright to do what _you_ want?”  
  


Ignatz stared, mouth slightly agape, unsure of what to say.   
  


“It took you forever to convince yourself to talk to your dad about majoring in art,” she continued, “and who supported you even more than Raphael or anyone else? Ashe! Everyone knows you two are attached at the hip! How can you think that Ashe isn’t super crazy about you?”  
  


Goddess help him, he had activated Hilda. This wasn’t a rare phenomenon, but a rather frightening one where she could not be stopped until her goal had been accomplished. Considering said goal was verbally beating some self-esteem until Ignatz, they could be here until the very end of time.  
  


Or if Ignatz asked Ashe out. Whatever came first.  
  


“What if there was someone else who caught Ashe’s eye?” Wasn’t that similar to what he just said? “I mean, um--”  
  


Hilda was rather terrifying at times. He could feel himself shrinking further under that pout of hers.  
  


“What do you… suggest I do, then?” Ignatz had no idea how to go about this. Was it really so simple as just asking the question and getting a yes? “Every time I’ve thought about it, it’s as if I forget how to speak. My throat dries up and I’m a mess, truthfully.”   
  


“Maybe we can set you up on a date! Oooh, but he’d have to realize it was one…” There went Hilda’s mind once more. “Leave it to me, Ignatz. I’ll make sure you and Ashe are together, all alone… and bam! You’ll ask him out, and you’ll be the cutest couple _ever!_ ”  
  


There was no use in stopping Hilda, was there? Ignatz just offered a smile, and figured he should be thankful to have such supportive friends. “May I ask one thing of you?”  
  


“Of course!” Hilda looked beyond delighted her little plan was set into action. “What’s up?”  
  


“Please,” he took her hands, an exasperated expression on his face, “please do not let Claude ask Ashe out in my name.”  
  


“I can’t make any promises.” Only Hilda could terrify an adult man with a smile and a wink. “Aw, Ignatz, don’t look at me like that! That’s so mean!”  
  


His fate didn’t lie in the hands of the Goddess.  
  


It lied in Hilda’s.  
  


* * *

  
The trio met a week later, each with a smile on their face. Sylvain bought the coffee this time, and was quick to speak once they were seated.

  
“Normally, you’d treat the winner of a bet, but I was feeling super generous today.” The grin he wore was wider than ever. “Ashe is absolutely in love with Ignatz, but he’s too shy to ask him out, just as I predicted.”  
  


“Nobody likes a bragger, Sylvain.” Hilda took a sip of the pink, whipped cream topped monstrosity she called coffee. Claude swore he saw Hubert grimace when taking her order. “Ignatz is just as shy, sooo… where do we go from here?”  
  


“I know they aren’t going to ask each other out on their own, given,” Sylvain waved his hand in the air, “the two of them just go red at the thought of it.”  
  


“I was thinking about asking Ashe out for him, but… it felt mean.” Hilda gave a little pout. “We obviously need to get them alone somewhere, even if they hang out all the time.”  
  


“Hey, we made them realize their feelings for each other all over again. You know next time they see each other, it’s all they’ll be thinking about.” Claude was rather confident they wouldn’t last a good half hour before one of them broke. “They’ll be a couple before we know it.”   
  


Sylvain arched an eyebrow at him with a curious expression. “You’ve met them, right?”  
  


“Yeah, and I also can tell when two people have hit a boiling point.” Sure, Claude was well aware they were stuttering messes when it came to matters of the heart, but no human could pine for that long. “We’ve done our jobs.”  
  


“Alright, alright, I get it! Sheesh, you’re worse than Ingrid.” Claude was sure Sylvain said this on purpose, and made sure to not react to it in any way. “If they aren’t together by next week, you owe me.”  
  


“Sure.” He said with confidence, with knowledge that his instincts were true as ever, and they’d be together in a few days time. But it was fun to toy with Sylvain, so why not entertain him every once in a while?   
  


While he and Hilda began to gush about how cute they were, Claude had to wonder who would confess first. It was only a matter of time.  
  


* * *

  
Miraculously, the next few days weren’t as chaotic as Ashe expected them to be. Nerves bubbled in his stomach whenever Sylvain passed him by, giving a wink and thumbs up when he spotted him and Ignatz together. There were times where Ignatz caught him looking, and then looked at Ashe curiously, and it took every ounce of willpower to not turn a bright red. All Ashe could do was simply apologize for the mere concept of Sylvain and quickly change the subject.  
  


It made Ignatz laugh, so it was the little victories he was able to take while he thought of the perfect way to confess.   
  


Given the pleasant, warm light breeze that was present today, Ashe figured it was a good place to start. He told himself he could do this, that Ignatz absolutely had to return his feelings, and he couldn’t remain in the dark forever.  
  


He swallowed the last of his nerves, and pulled out his phone.  
  


_[do you want to get ice cream today? my treat!]  
  
_

That wasn’t too forward, right? Ashe had offered to pay several times in the past, even with Ignatz’s insistence it wasn’t necessary. He was just offering kindness, something he’d learned from Lonato when he was adopted.   
  


Ashe stared at nothing in particular until he heard a little _ping!_ a few seconds later.  
  


_[Oh, I’d love to! The usual place?]  
  
_

Ashe felt a small smile work its way onto his face, accompanied by the pitter-patter of an eager heart. Step one had gone well, and now it was time to put the others in action.  
  


_[yeah! what time works for you?]  
  
_

_[I need to finish a part of this piece, so does three o’clock work?]  
  
_

Ashe glanced up to the clock on his phone, which read 1:34. He had less than two hours to figure out how to confess to the love of his life. That wasn’t nerve wracking at all. He was going to be totally fine, said the butterflies with extra large wings flitting about in his stomach, there was nothing to worry about.  
  


_[sure! i’ll see you then]  
  
_

He’d already gotten advice from both Lonato and Christophe on this matter, who had told Ashe to follow his heart, and to not overthink. Regardless, he’d rehearsed his confession a few times over in the mirror as time crawled forward. Anxious fingers went through his hair, ensuring it was perfect, even if Ignatz would tell it was otherwise.   
  


Ashe gave some brief deliberation as to what to wear, before realizing it wasn’t necessary to dress nicely for getting ice cream. Despite the warm weather, he retrieved a light blue hoodie from his closet, one with short sleeves and lighter fabric, suited for those mild late spring afternoons.   
  


It was also a birthday gift from Ignatz, who had bought it under the teasing guise of, “What’s one more hoodie for your wardrobe?”   
  


Needless to say, he’d worn it as often as possible. In some way, Ashe hoped it would offer him the courage necessary to confess without stumbling over his words.   
  


He could do this! He wanted nothing more than to finally be at Ignatz’s side, to support him through every smile and hardship, to give soft words of love and endless affection.  
  


It’d also get Sylvain off his back, as an added bonus. (Or not. Sylvain could tease them both, but at least they’d endure it together.)  
  


For a brief moment, Ashe considered getting him flowers. After some thought, he decided it’d be better for their second date, if all went well. He gave himself one last check in the mirror, smile nervous but genuine as ever, thoughts of his (hopefully) soon-to-be boyfriend in his mind.  
  


* * *

  
Ashe had arrived early to the ice cream parlor, partially out of his continued, jittery nerves. He also hoped the fresh air would soothe them some as his fingers drummed against his thigh, eyes everywhere but his phone. Ignatz had sent a text he was on the way, and with that, Ashe knew he couldn’t distract himself with a game on his phone. Under normal circumstances, it’d be a way to pass time (which was going so slowly), but he’d hate to be not paying attention when Ignatz showed up.  
  


That didn’t count as overthinking, did it? Common courtesy dictated it’d be rude to not acknowledge your possible date-to-be as they were walking up to you. Even if his mind was running all over the place, it was better than not caring, and Ashe cared about Ignatz very, very much.   
  


Maybe he could agree with the idea that he was in love. One could say it was ridiculous to fall in love before the first date, but Ignatz was worth falling in love with.   
  


All he wanted was to hear those words back.   
  


When he saw Ignatz head towards him with a smile and wave, Ashe nearly leapt out of his seat, heart pounding in his chest. There was absolutely no turning back, and no matter the result, he was ready to tell the other how he felt.  
  


He couldn’t jump straight into said confession, though. It had to be eased into. They’d get their ice cream, find a park bench unoccupied and away from others, and Ashe would hopefully not jumble up his words.   
  


“Thank you for inviting me out, Ashe.” Ignatz gave him a warm smile. “I’d spent all of today working so far, so it’s nice to get out of the studio for a while.”  
  


“Of course!” The butterflies returned in full force at that smile of his. Ignatz was unfairly handsome. “I hope I’m not distracting you from any important projects, though.”  
  


“Don’t worry about it,” Ignatz went to hold open the door for him, “I’d always make time for you.”  
  


Ashe’s heart felt fit to burst, and he temporarily forgot how to speak for a moment. Was he blushing? Did his face give anything away? How could Ignatz just say things like that so easily? “I’m flattered! That’s very kind of you to say.”  
  


“It’s the truth, after all.” Somehow, that smile grew sweeter. “Are you sure I don’t have to pay? I feel a little bad being treated all the time.”  
  


“I want to, Ignatz.” Given the circumstances, Ashe paying for their ice cream made it feel more like a proper date. “You know I like doing nice things for people! It makes me smile, no matter how small the good deed is.”  
  


“I can’t argue with that, then.” Ignatz gave a small laugh as the two of them got in line. It wasn’t terribly crowded, which offered less time for Ashe to toil over how exactly he’d steer the conversation into asking the other out.   
  


Once their turn, Ashe saw it fit to order his favorite flavor, which was mint chocolate chip. Ignatz delegated to matcha, and he always spoke of how fortunate they were to have an ice cream parlor that had such a unique flavor. While paying, Ashe was certain the cashier looked between the two men with a smile, as if they assumed the pair was a couple. After that, Ashe began to lead them to a more quiet area of the nearby park, his mind and heart going a mile a minute.  
  


“The weather really is lovely today,” Ignatz commented as they seated themselves on a bench, “I really needed the fresh air.”  
  


Ashe stared intently at his ice cream, as it would offer an avenue to segue into asking Ignatz out. Disappointingly, it didn’t offer any answers.   
  


He’d forgotten about every word of his confession. How was he supposed to start? Just blurt out his feelings and go from there? “Ignatz, ah…”   
  


“Are you alright?” A small frown made its way onto his face. “You’ve barely touched your ice cream.”  
  


The longer Ashe beat around the bush, the worse this would get. “How… would you feel if I said I wanted this to be a date?”  
  


It wasn’t the fanciest way to confess, and it was an odd jumble of his rehearsed words of affections, but it got the point across.   
  


“I didn’t want to ask you out over the phone, so… I thought if I bought you ice cream, I could do it properly.” Ashe rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish smile on his face. “And of course, despite how much I’ve thought of asking you out, I’m stumbling over my words…”  
  


Ignatz was beet red, and Ashe knew his own face matched such a deep fluster.  
  


“I… I really like you, Ignatz. I have for some time, and maybe I’m sort of in love with you too?” Smooth. “I can only hope you feel the same, if you’ll have me.”   
  


“Oh, Ashe…” A grin broke its way onto Ignatz’s face. “Here I thought someone as wonderful as you would never return my affections.”   
  


“Me? Wonderful?” The flush ran its way down to Ashe’s neck. “I-I’m really nothing special…”  
  


Ignatz shook his head, and scooted closer to Ashe, slowly conjoining their hands. “Ashe, you’re one of the most selfless people I know. You’re always helping others, whether you’re volunteering at soup kitchens or supporting your friends and family. You inspire me, to the point where I would call you my muse.”  
  


Knocked speechless, Ashe found himself staring in wonder. His muse? Someone like him was able to inspire all the amazing pieces he’s seen Ignatz produce? When did he get lucky enough to hear such gentle words?  
  


“You’re beautiful, Ashe.” Ignatz set their cups of ice cream to the side. “Breathtaking, even.”  
  


Beautiful? _Him?_ Were the ice cream any closer to his person, it would have melted immediately from how hot his face felt.   
  


“Can, ah… Can I kiss you?” The question blurted itself out rather quickly, but by the expression on Ignatz’s face, accompanied with a small nod, it was heard loud and clear.  
  


Their hands still conjoined, Ashe leaned forward to gently bring their lips together, doing his best to prevent himself from bumping into Ignatz’s glasses. For every kiss he had read about, or seen in movies, the real thing went above and beyond whatever his imagination fed him. The butterflies in his stomach remained, this time filled with endless love to wash over the nerves. It was their first kiss of many, and Ashe already knew he’d never tire of kissing his boyfriend.  
  


His _boyfriend!_ He could finally give Ignatz such a wonderful title.  
  


“I’ve wanted to do that for so long,” Ashe whispered with a breathless laugh, and moved in to kiss Ignatz once more.   
  


His lips were much sweeter than the ice cream could ever hope to be.  
  


“I certainly don’t think I’ll be returning to the studio tonight,” Ignatz was in a daze, eyes lidded, face in a flush, “so we can gladly continue our date.”  
  


Ashe had a feeling said date entailed heading back to his apartment and playing Animal Crossing all night, but he couldn’t imagine anything more perfect.   
  


“I love you,” he chose to say, in knowing those three words were a phrase they both ached to hear.   
  


The warmth on Ignatz’s face could melt even the coldest of hearts. “I love you too, Ashe, with all my soul.”   
  


It was a shame to leave their ice cream ignored, but Ashe figured the kisses they shared tasted that much better.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed, make sure to leave a comment/kudos! If you want to hear about future works and rambles, make sure to follow me on [Twitter!](https://twitter.com/that_nebbles)


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